THE AGE OF IRON

2000 BC–AD 200

Noting that the age of iron lasted to the 20th century, when steel, electricity, and oil became the dominant sources of fuel, this episode outlines the epic story of the advent of iron smelting in eastern Asia Minor. Additionally, the program details the effect of iron manufacturing on civilizations along the Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, Nile, and Yellow Rivers, and shows that iron weapons led to the growth of regional empires.